Wednesday, April 30, 2008

AGON- International Meeting of Archaeological Film of the Mediterranean Area

AGON
7th International Meeting of Archaeological Film of the Mediterranean Area


Athens, 6-11 May 2008
APOLLON Cinemax Class

AGON, the International Meeting of Archaeological Film of the Mediterranean area, is being held every two years and it is organised by the non-profit association AGON, in collaboration with the Greek magazine Archaeology and Arts. During the festival, archaeological, ethnological and folkloric films are screened, films which reveal and record a lost world, mainly from the Mediterranean area. The viewers will have the chance to ascertain that today’s archaeology all over the world, is not just holding on the past, but it is tracing through time, the essential sparks of knowledge.

During these last 12 years, AGON has developed in an institution with national and international recognition. In a time when Europe is full of archaeological film festivals (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland…), AGON is the only archaeological film festival in Greece, the country which is globally linked with the concept of Archaeology.

AGON, once more held in APOLLON cinema, where it all first started back in May 1996, is inviting you to an exciting journey of knowledge through 31 hours of film projection…

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Και επισήμως στην Ελλάδα από την Ελβετία η μαρμάρινη λήκυθος του 4ου π.Χ. αιώνα

Source: in.gr


Τη μαρμάρινη λήκυθο του 4ου αιώνα π.Χ. που επαναπατρίσθηκε από την Ελβετία στη χώρα μας παρουσίασε τη Μεγάλη Δευτέρα στους δημοσιογράφους ο υπουργός Πολιτισμού Μιχάλης Λιάπης, σε ειδική εκδήλωση στο Εθνικό Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο.

Η διαδικασία επαναπατρισμού της αττικής μαρμάρινης ληκύθου ολοκληρώθηκε την περασμένη Πέμπτη και σε λίγες μέρες θα «φιλοξενηθεί» στα εργαστήρια συντήρησης του Εθνικού Αρχαιολογικού Μουσείου, όπου και θα παραμείνει για περίπου δύο μήνες.

Η λήκυθος με ανάγλυφη παράσταση δύο γυναικείων μορφών που εικονίζονται σε σκηνή δεξίωσης αποχαιρετισμού σε νεκρό, κλασική σκηνή αποχαιρετισμού. Είχε παρουσιασθεί το 2007 σε διεθνή έκθεση αρχαιοπωλών στο Μάαστριχτ, όπου δημοπρατείτο από Ελβετό αρχαιοπώλη.

Μετά από σειρά διαβουλεύσεων, ο Ελβετός αρχαιοπώλης αποφάσισε να παραδώσει τη λήκυθο στο ελληνικό Δημόσιο, εξωδίκως, ανεπιφύλακτα και άνευ όρων. Το έργο παραδόθηκε σε εκπρόσωπο της ελληνικής πρεσβείας στη Βέρνη και στη συνέχεια συσκευάστηκε στην ελεύθερη τελωνειακή ζώνη της Βασιλείας και μεταφέρθηκε στην Ελλάδα.

Όπως δήλωσε ο κ. Λιάπης, εξετάζεται η δυνατότητα να παρουσιασθούν σε έκθεση στο νέο Μουσείο της Ακρόπολης το προσεχές φθινόπωρο όλα τα επαναπατρισθέντα στην Ιταλία αντικείμενα και η έκθεση να συμπληρωθεί με τα αντίστοιχα ελληνικά.

Ο κ. Λιάπης ξεναγήθηκε από τον διευθυντή του Εθνικού Αρχαιολογικού Μουσείου Νίκο Καλτσά στην αιγυπτιακή συλλογή, περίπου 1.200 αντικειμένων, που θα εγκαινιασθεί επισήμως στις 14 Μαΐου.

Artifact with Hellenistic influence discovered at Sassanid city

Source: Mehr News Agency

TEHRAN, April 21 (MNA) -- A team of archaeologists working at the ruins of a Sassanid city in southern Iran’s Fars Province has recently discovered an artifact bearing some traces of the Hellenistic artistic style.

The artifact bears images of two faces looking in the opposite direction engraved on a flat piece of ivory, the Persian service of CHN reported on Monday.

It is only the second time such an artifact has been found at an ancient site in Iran.

“The influence of Hellenistic art is clearly observed in the appearance of the eyes of the faces,” team director Alireza Jafari-Zand said.

The artifact is estimated to date back to a period between 200 BC and 200 CE when local states, which were concurrent with the Parthian Empire, appeared to rule the region after the Seleucids, he explained.

A similar artifact had been identified by a foreign archaeologist at an ancient site in the Izeh region of Khuzestan Province about 70 years ago.

According to Jafari-Zand, the foreign archaeologist never explained how he had acquired the artifact. However, he believes the local people had given it to him.

The Sassanid city, which was identified in May 2007, will be entirely submerged if the Fars Regional Water Company completes the process of filling the Salman-e Farsi Dam.

The 360-hectare city contains ruins of structures from the post-Achaemenid period and the Sassanid and early Islamic eras.

The company had begun filling the reservoir of the dam in mid-March 2007. However, the process was halted after the Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) lodged an official complaint.

Afterwards, the archaeological team was organized and dispatched to the region to conduct rescue excavations.

Egypt: Tomb of Cleopatra and lover to be uncovered

Source: AKI - Adnkronos International

Cairo, 24 April (AKI) - Archaeologists have revealed plans to uncover the 2000 year-old tomb of ancient Egypt's most famous lovers, Cleopatra and the Roman general Mark Antony later this year.

Zahi Hawass, prominent archaeologist and director of Egypt's superior council for antiquities announced a proposal to test the theory that the couple were buried together.

He discussed the project in Cairo at a media conference about the ancient pharaohs.

Hawass said that the remains of the legendary Egyptian queen and her Roman lover, Mark Antony, were inside a temple called Tabusiris Magna, 30 kilometres from the port city of Alexandria in northern Egypt.

Until recently access to the tomb has been hindered because it is under water, but archaeologists plan to drain the site so they can begin excavation in November.

Among the clues to suggest that the temple may contain Cleopatra's remains is the discovery of numerous coins with the face of the queen.

According to Hawas, Egyptologists have also uncovered a 120-metre-long underground tunnel with many rooms, some of which could contain more details about Cleopatra.

Born in Rome, Mark Antony was a military general and commander, as well as supporter of Julius Caesar. He was also Cleopatra's lover and bore him a son, called Caesarion.

After Julius Caesar's assassination in March 44 B.C., Antony formed a triumvirate with Octavian, also known as Augustus, and Marcus Lepidus.

Civil war ensued in Rome due to disagreements between Antony and Octavian, who was Julius Caesar's heir and who later became Rome's first emperor.

Antony was subsequently defeated by Octavian and he later committed suicide.

Cleopatra, who came to power at 18 years of age, was once the ruler of Egypt and considered the last of seven queens of the same name.

She was famous for her intelligence, her beauty and her political power.

Cleopatra who also bore Mar
k Antony twins, committed suicide after his death in August 30 B.C.